Railroad-spike



(No Model.) H. A. HARVEY. RAILROAD SPIKE.

No. 395,898. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

HAYVARD A. HARVEY, OF ORANGE, NEWV JERSEY.

RAILROAD-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,898, dated January8, 1889.

Application filed September 19, 1888. Serial No. 285,791- (Nospecimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAYWARD A. HARVEY, ofOrange, New Jersey, have invented a certain Improvement in RolledSpikes,of which the following is a specification.

The twofold. purpose of this improvement is to increase the holdingcapacity of metal spikes, especially the class of spikes which are usedin fastening the rails to the sleepers of railways, and to obtain forthe spikes the increased tenacity and strength which iron and steelacquire in being rolled.

The invent-ion consists in a rolled metallic spike having a cylindricalshank with the end opposite the head flattened convergently into theform of a chisel, the sides of which are also convergent, whereby thewidth of the cuttingedge of the chisel is made less than the diameter ofthe adjacent cylindrical portion of the shank.

The object of thus narrowing the w dth of the cutting-edge of the chiselis to suitably diminish the number of fibers which will be severed inthe act of driving the spike into wood. Usually the width of thecutting-edge of a chisel-pointed spike is equal to or in excess of thewidth of the shank of the spike, j

and the result is that when such a spike is driven into wood little orno grip is exerted by the wood upon the sides of the spike, thedisplacement of the wood bcin in the direction of the length of thefibers.

order to prevent the splitting of the wood; but by making the width ofthe chisel-point to a prescribed extent less than the width of the shankportions of the fibers on either side of the spike,respccti vely, arecompressed laterally in opposite directions when the spike is driven in.Owing to the resilience of the laterally-compressed fibers, they bearstrongly against the sides of the spike, and thereby increase the gripof the wood upon the spike.

As an additional expedient for increasing the holding capacity of thespike, its shank at a point distant from the head may be provided with acircumferential enlargement, in which case the fibers of the wood, whichare compressed laterally in opposite directions when the spike is drivenin, spring back to- The severing of a certain proportion of the fibersis necessary in 1 ward and against the smaller portion of the shank, andthus very greatly increase the amount of force necessary to be appliedto the head of the spike to withdraw it from the wood. To adapt thespike to sustain the application of this increased force, the portion ofthe shank immediately adjoining the head is also enlarged in diameter.

In the manufacture the bar from which the spike is made is rolledbetween properlyshaped rolls, which produce upon it a series of thedesired enlargements. It is then out into lengths and headed and pointedin suitable dies. In the act of rolling the metal becomes more dense andits strength and tenacity are greatly increased.

The accompanying drawings of spikes containing the invention are asfollows:

Figure 1 is a top view of the head of a spike. Figs. 2 and 3 arerespectively front and side elevations of a spike, portions of the shankof which, respectively adjoining the head and the point, are enlarged,as described. Figs. at and 5 are respectively front and side elevationsof a spike, showing a slightly-different form of enlargement of theportion of the shank adjoining the head, but showing the remainingportion of the shank of uniform diameter.

As will be seen on reference to the drawings, the form of the enlargedportion of the shank adjoining the head may be varied. Thus in Figs. 2and 3 the shankAis provided at the end adjoining the head B with therather abrupt enlargement a, while in the spike illustrated in Figs. 4;and 5 the shank A is provided near the head B with the more gradualenlargement a. The chisel-point C is in each case represented as beingslightly less in width than the diameter of the smallest part of theshank.

In the spike represented in Figs. 2 and 3 the portion of the shankadjoining the point is provided with the enlargement D.

In the spike illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 the portion of the shankadjoining the point is not enlarged, and in this case the chisel C may,if desired, be made narrower than the chisel C. The extent to which thechisel will be narrowed will be varied. with reference to tho kind ol?wood in which the spiko is inl tended to he drivon. 'lho i'nnnhor oftillers 1 rt'aqniring to ho smorod, in order to provont: tho splittingot the wood when tho spike is drivon in, will ot'f (-onrso vary in thotililtoront kinds of wood. .In all msos n (*ortain nnmhor olf lihors mayhe lott nnsovorot l and ho ooni 'n'ossotl laterally when tho spike isdriven in without splitting tho wood.

\Vlmt is ('lniinvd as tho invont'ion is 1. As a nowart'ivlo ol1'mzmnl'ziott'n'o, a rollod and hooded motnllio spike provided with 21 l(:hisol-point tho width of the cutting-(doc 01' I I I V \YlllLll 1sshghtlyloss than tho diameter ol the 1 zidjuvrnt round portion of thoshank. 1

p3. A rolled and headed metallic spike having the portion of it's shankzu'ljzlt-ont to the head unhirgod in diznnutor and having a Chisel-pointtho width of tho (flitting-Od n: of which is slightly lcsstlmn t'hodizunet'or of tho snmllor part 01 the shank.

3. A rollod and hooded motnlliv spiko h:1v ing the portions of its shankroSpoi-tiivoly adjnvont to it's hood and point larger than thointornlodinto portion of its shank and pro \idod with a rolntivolyinn-row vhisol-tmint, snhstnnt izdly as and For tho purpose sot t'orth.

A. M. Joxlas, J. H. \VurrELEGoE.

